For most people, the work of the Wyoming Supreme Court happens somewhere far away from everyday life.

On Thursday, September 24, that changes for Casper.

The Wyoming Supreme Court will bring a special public educational program to Casper College, giving local residents and students an opportunity to see the state’s highest court at work and learn more about how cases move through the judicial system.

The program will take place inside Wheeler Concert Hall in the Music Building at 1451 Lisco Drive, with two different experiences scheduled throughout the morning.

At 10 a.m., the justices will hear live oral arguments in Hurd v. Hurd, Docket No. S-26-0092, an active case involving the distribution of a family trust estate.

Watching an appellate argument can offer an entirely different perspective on the legal system. Rather than a traditional courtroom trial with witnesses and a jury, the focus is on the attorneys presenting their legal arguments and answering questions from the justices.

For members of the public, seeing that process firsthand can make an otherwise unfamiliar part of the judicial system much easier to understand.

And for students studying law, government or related fields, the opportunity is even more significant.

Instead of learning solely through textbooks and classroom discussion, students can observe professionals navigating a real case and see how legal reasoning is presented at the highest level of the state court system.

Then, at 11 a.m., the morning shifts from observation to participation.

The court will present its interactive “You Be The Judge” program, giving Casper College students the opportunity to experience the judicial process from the other side of the bench. Local attorneys will present a mock case, while students take on the role of judges and work toward a final decision.

It is an exercise designed to make the legal process feel tangible.

For a student sitting in the judge’s seat, deciding a hypothetical case can require more than simply knowing what the law says. It can involve listening carefully, considering competing arguments and working through the information before reaching a conclusion.

That is the value of bringing an experience like this into a college campus.

It turns civic education into something people can actually see and participate in.

The visit also creates a rare opportunity for the broader Casper community to interact with an institution that residents may otherwise encounter only through news reports or written court decisions. By opening the proceedings to the public and incorporating an educational component, the court is making the judicial process more accessible to people who want to understand how it works.

For Casper College students, particularly those pursuing paralegal and related fields, the morning offers a valuable look at the profession they are preparing to enter.

For everyone else, it is simply a chance to learn something about how justice is considered at the highest level in Wyoming.

And that may be the most meaningful part of the event.

Civic education does not have to happen behind a classroom desk. Sometimes it happens by sitting in an audience, listening to a real case, asking questions and seeing how decisions are shaped.

On Thursday, Casper gets that opportunity.

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Photo courtesy to Casper College